Oily waste treatment array for use in marpol plant in urban environments

ABSTRACT

An oily waste treatment array ( 23 ) for use in a Marpol plant, that allows the separation of low and high-flash-point material into high-flash-point dehydrated recovered oil, cleaned water, and solids, that can be operated in an urban environment. This can be achieved due to the coupling of six constituent devices, linked within the confines ( 28 ) of the sealed array ( 23 ), that enables odour control, and due to the unique treatment ( 30 ), prior to the centrifuge array ( 31 ). The pre-treatment array ( 30 ) allows the treatment of emulsified mixtures, optimizing the use of chemical additives, by use of an external-flow-array, that is thermally coupled and integrated within the overall array, that features an external circulation heating/stirring loop, in and out of an inclined and contracting tank ( 20 ), a ‘stirring region’ ( 41 ) and a series of three dimensional injection nozzles ( 9 ), making up a ‘dendrite’ structure ( 10 ).

The present invention relates to an array that allows the treatment of oily waste, within a Marpol plant.

Up till the present, there have been devices for use in the treatment of oily waste. The present array described herein, introduces a novel device array that allows the optimal separation of oily waste into three by-products, namely recovered oil, treated water and solids, that can be achieved with low energy consumption, with odour-free conditions, that can be applied in an urban environment.

The object of the present invention is the integration of a novel pre-treatment device into an overall array that enables the optimal separation of oily waste, that is energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

The resulting array is made up of six subsystems that are inextricably connected in terms of their internal heat flows and sealed within the confines of the array. This allows: 1 the optimal treatment of oily waste, 2 under conditions that can be applied in urban environments.

According to the invention, the objective is achieved by integrating into one array the six constituent components, that are linked to each other and sealed within the confines of the array, offering optimal separation of the original oily waste product, due to the unique action of the pretreatment device, as defined in independent claim 1. The dependent claims define preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the following, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be discussed in more detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The invention will be made conceivable with reference to the designs that accompany the present description, in which certain proposed industrial applications of the invention are shown.

FIG. 1 shows a view of the array that depicts its constituent parts and the overall confines of the array, that provide total odour control, that in turn, allows its use within urban environments.

FIG. 2 depicts the pre-treatment device of the array in detail, which allows the optimal separation of the oily waste primary product into its byproducts, namely recovered oil, processed water and solids.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a preferred embodiment of the invention. While this particular embodiment will be described in detail below, several modifications will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, so that the invention shall not be interpreted in a limited manner, referring to the description and the drawings. Rather the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Referring to a selected indicative example of industrial application of the invention, a number of the main sections and components of the device array are listed below. More specifically, the basic parts of the invention are the following:

1. Inlet pipeline/Input port.

2. Inlet portion, shaped for steady flow.

3. Tank chamber with inclined bottom and inclined sides.

4. Shaping of the inlet section, into the secondary flow loop (circuit).

5. Pump for circulation of the secondary loop (input).

6. Pump for circulation of the secondary loop (output).

7. Heat exchanger array of the secondary loop.

8. Return to the tank chamber.

9. Three dimensional injector arrays.

10. Shaping of the discharge of the secondary loop, in the form of a ‘dendrite’.

11. Outmost nozzle injector into the main chamber.

12. Water injectors.

13. Drainage circuit.

14. Bypass circuit.

15. Output of the pre-treatment array, into the centrifuge array.

16. Filter array.

17. Shaping of the dome, under the filter array.

18. Holding brackets connected to the dome.

19. Filter.

20. Main tank chamber, where heating/stirring/mixing occurs.

21. Conventional stirring array.

22. Conventional heating array.

23. Oily waste separation array, for treatment of all kinds of oil/water mixtures.

24. Input of the primary product (oily waste) into the array.

25. Output of the recovered oil.

26. Output of the processed water.

27. Output of the solid products.

28. Boundaries of the array confines.

29. Pre-selection array.

30. Pre-treatment array.

31. Centrifuge array.

32. Chemical additive injection array.

33. Connection of heat flows, coupling thermally (7) in (30) to (35).

34. Connection of filtering for odour control and gas restriction.

35. Dehydration array.

36. Water processing array.

37. Solid management array.

38. Horizontal transfer of solids from the centrifuge array.

39. Array for filling of solid byproducts, with odour control covers.

40. Array for sealing of solid byproducts, with sealed covers.

41. Region of flow concentration, major stirring/mixing and discharge.

42. Region of ground effect, providing stirring/mixing.

43. Region of gas/vapor gathering and concentration.

44. Flow controller.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 23 designated the oily waste separator array. The array comprises six devices linked together and thermally connected, within the confines (28), that can treat oily waste (according to Marpol 73/78 Annex I specifications). The oily waste (primary product) enters in the input port (24), and in a single pass from the array, the separated byproducts are delivered at the corresponding output ports. Namely, the recovered oil is delivered at output (25), the processed water is delivered at output (26) and the solid products are delivered at output (27), in an energy efficient way, in conditions that can be applied in an urban environment, due to the effective odour control of the process.

According to the preferred embodiment shown, the array (23), shown in FIG. 1, encloses a pre-treatment device array (30), shown in FIG. 2.

With reference to FIG. 1, the primary product (oily waste) enters input port (24), and passes from the pre-selection array (29). Then passes via the pre-treatment array (30), through the centrifuge array (31) to be separated and then passes to the dehydration array (35). From the dehydration array (35) the recovered oil is delivered, at output (25). The water separated at the centrifuge array (31), is processed at the water management array (36) and is delivered at the output (26). The solid byproducts are handled in the array (37), and are delivered at the output port (27). The whole array (23) has a continuous boundary seal indicated by the boundary confines (28), that allow the overall odour control, allowing the application of the oily waste treatment within urban environments.

The pretreatment array (30) shown in FIG. 1, is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. This pretreatment array (30) allows the overall array (23) to handle low as well as high flash point oily waste primary products. The oily waste treated may have an oil content varying from 1 to 99%, in homogenized and emulsified oil/water mixtures.

It is taken in input port (24), and delivered at output port (25). The recovered oil is 99.9% water-free and has a high flash point. The processed water, delivered at output (26) is odour-free and clean (with oil traces less than 5 ppm).

Some special features of the pre-treatment array (30) are the following:

1 Due to the heating/mixing/stirring flow carried out in the secondary loop circuit out of the primary tank (20), (shown in FIG. 2), the discharge of the chemical additives that are dispensed via array (32), can be kept to a minimum.

2 The vapour and gases in the tank (20), are collected in region (43) that is created under the dome (17), that is suspended via links (18). The vapour and gases are eventually passed via filter (19) which is connected via filter connections (34), offering total odour control to the overall array (23), within confines (28).

3 The heat flows. The secondary loop circuit (shown in FIG. 2) that provides heating and stirring to the primary product (oily waste), substitutes the conventional stirring element (21) and the conventional heating element (22). The heating element (7) is connected and linked thermally to the dehydration array (35) via thermal connections (33).

4 Furthermore, has a ‘self-cleaning effect’ feature that is made possible by use of pumps (5), (6) and water injectors (12).

5 The secondary loop circuit has a ‘hydraulic overload’ feature, in order to ensure a steady flow, between the secondary loop and the main tank (20), in the region (41), in conjunction with flow controller (44), in the output port (15), irrespective of the viscous characteristics of the primary product.

6 The secondary loop circuit has a series of heat exchangers (7), including free-flow and wide-gap for sludge.

By reference to FIG. 1, the array (23), within confines (28), comprises the pre-selection array (29), the pre-treatment array (30), the centrifuge array (31), the dehydration array (35), the water processing array (36), the solid treatment array (37), the horizontal transfer of solids from the centrifuge array (38), the array for filling of solid byproducts, with odour control covers (39) and finally, the array for sealing of solid byproducts, with sealed covers (40).

By reference to FIG. 2, the primary product (oily waste) enters the pre-treatment array (30), via input port (1). Passes via shaping (2) and enters the main Tank chamber (20).

Then, due to the slope (3) of the main tank chamber (20), enters via the shaping (4) into the secondary loop circuit of the pre-treatment array (30). By use of pumps (5) and (6) the primary product (oily waste) is moved for heating through the secondary loop, to be heated by the heat exchangers (7), optimizing the use of chemical additives delivered via array (32), and is stirred and injected (upon returning to the main tank (20) via the re-entry port (8), by means of injector arrays (9), that are situated and positioned with a ‘dendrite’ structure (10).

This ‘dendrite’ structure allows the optimal mixing and stirring of the heated and treated primary product, by way of injection out the injector nozzles (9), the final outmost injector nozzle (11), in proximity with the tank bottom and sides that constitute region (42) and the main region (41). This heating/mixing process substitutes the conventional heating and stirring methods carried out by the conventional devices (21), (22), prior to entry into the centrifuge array (31).

The secondary loop circuit is complementary controlled in terms of flow conditions and pressure, in conjunction with flow controller (44), in the output port (15), which is in proximity with the region (41), the drainage circuit (13) and the by-pass circuit (14). (FIG. 2) 

1. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in an urban environment, comprising six connected and thermally linked devices, within sealed confines (28), that treats the primary product (oily waste) that (a) enters the array (23), via an input port (24), passes through the pre-selection array (29) and (A) is fed to a pre-treatment array (30), entering via a input port (1), by means of a section shaped (2), into a main tank (20), which has an inclined bottom (3) and contracting sides, feeding a second, separate external heating/mixing loop, (instead of a conventional stirring device (21) and a conventional coil-heating-device (22)), via an entry section (4), and (B) is circulated by means of an entry pump (5) and an exit pump (6), which has water injectors (12), has a heat exchanger array (7), and via an entry port (8) and three-dimensional injectors (9) situated and positioned along a discharge structure (10) that has a ‘dendrite’ form, so as to achieve& effective stirring/mixing, within the main tank (20), partially implementing a ground effect in region (42), and (C) feeds the final injector (11), which, in turn, feeds a central region (41), Wherein the heat exchanger array (7) is thermally coupled with a dehydration array (35), wherein the main tank (20) has a drainage circuit (13) and a by-pass circuit (14), that feeds via an out-port (15) a centrifuge array (31), Wherein the array (23) (a) outputs from a dehydration array (35) the recovered oil, via discharge (25), (b) outputs from a water processing array (36), the processed cleaned water, via a discharge (26), and (c) outputs the solid residues, from a solid treatment array (37), via a discharge (27), and wherein the array (23) has an high energy efficiency due to the thermal coupling of the constituent devices, by means of connections (33), and can be operated in an urban environment due to a connected filtering devices (34) that offer odour control by restricting the volatile gases, within sealed conditions within confines (28), and wherein the main tank (20), has an inclined bottom and contracting sides along the flow of the secondary loop that discharges along the ‘dendrite’ structure (10), inside the main tank (20), inducing a ‘ground effect’ in region (42), and the main tank (20), has poly-hedral characteristics along its sides and bottom, wherein within the main tank (20), the volatile gases and vapors are gathered in a region (43), that is formed underneath the dome of a filter (17), held by support brackets (18) such that the volatile gases and vapours are eventually fed to a filter (19), a filter (16) and to filter connections (34), and wherein the array (23), in which the primary product (oily waste) is treated, enables an effective treatment in one pass, with the minimal use of chemical additives dispensed via a device (32), due to the treatment carried out in the pre-treatment array (30), allowing the optimal treatment of homogenized water/oil mixtures, which have high and low flash point, into: (a) high-flash-point recovered oil, (b) cleaned processed water and (c) solids, under energy-efficient conditions, due to the thermal coupling of the pretreatment array (30) to the dehydration array (35), and can be applied in an urban environment due to the sealed confines (28) of the array (23) and the filtering connections (34) that ensure odour-free conditions.
 2. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 1, having a pair of pretreatment devices (30), in tandem.
 3. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 1, having more than two pretreatment devices (30) in tandem.
 4. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 1, in which the secondary, external loop for heating/stirring/mixing is operated under conditions of pressure and flow that induce ‘hydraulic overload’, determined by the concentration of the flow within region (41), in the main tank (20), at the pretreatment array (30), by means of pumps (5) and (6) and flow controller (44), which furthermore, that can have a ‘self-cleaning characteristic’, by the use of water injectors (12).
 5. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 2, in which the secondary, external loop for heating/stirring/mixing is operated under conditions of pressure and flow that induce ‘hydraulic overload’, determined by the concentration of the flow within region (41), in the main tank (20), at the pretreatment array (30), by means of pumps (5) and (6) and flow controller (44), which furthermore, that can have a ‘self-cleaning characteristic’, by the use of water injectors (12).
 6. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 3, in which the secondary, external loop for heating/stirring/mixing is operated under conditions of pressure and flow that induce ‘hydraulic overload’, determined by the concentration of the flow within region (41), in the main tank (20), at the pretreatment array (30), by means of pumps (5) and (6) and flow controller (44), which furthermore, that can have a ‘self-cleaning characteristic’, by the use of water injectors (12).
 7. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 1, in which the solid treatment array (37), allows the horizontal handling transport of the solids (38) out of the centrifuge array (31), an array for filling of solid byproducts, with odour control covers (39), and an array for sealing of solid byproducts, with sealed covers (40).
 8. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 2, in which the solid treatment array (37), allows the horizontal handling transport of the solids (38) out of the centrifuge array (31), an array for filling of solid byproducts, with odour control covers (39), and an array for sealing of solid byproducts, with sealed covers (40).
 9. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 3, in which the solid treatment array (37), allows the horizontal handling transport of the solids (38) out of the centrifuge array (31), an array for filling of solid byproducts, with odour control covers (39), and an array for sealing of solid byproducts, with sealed covers (40).
 10. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 4, in which the solid treatment array (37), allows the horizontal handling transport of the solids (38) out of the centrifuge array (31), an array for filling of solid byproducts, with odour control covers (39), and an array for sealing of solid byproducts, with sealed covers (40).
 11. An oily waste treatment array (23), for use in a Marpol plant, in urban environments, as in claim 5, in which the solid treatment array (37), allows the horizontal handling transport of the solids (38) out of the centrifuge array (31), an array for filling of solid byproducts, with odour control covers (39), and an array for sealing of solid byproducts, with sealed covers (40).
 12. A Marpol plant incorporating an oily waste treatment array (23), according to claim
 1. 13. A Marpol plant incorporating an oily waste treatment array (23), according to claim
 2. 14. A Marpol plant incorporating an oily waste treatment array (23), according to claim
 3. 15. A Marpol plant incorporating an oily waste treatment array (23), according to claim
 4. 16. A Marpol plant incorporating an oily waste treatment array (23), according to claim
 5. 17. A Marpol plant incorporating an oily waste treatment array (23), according to claim
 6. 18. A Marpol plant incorporating an oily waste treatment array (23), according to claim
 7. 19. A Marpol plant incorporating an oily waste treatment array (23), according to claim
 8. 20. A Marpol plant incorporating an oily waste treatment array (23), according to claim
 9. 